Indonesia’s rescue of Rohingya refugees at sea is a reminder of an ordeal that began in Myanmar

By GRANT PECK
Associated Press

BANGKOK (AP) — A dramatic story of survival and rescue off Indonesia’s west coast is a reminder of the plight of ethnic Rohingya Muslim refugees from Myanmar who make extremely dangerous voyages across the Indian Ocean to seek better lives. Desperate survivors were pulled to safety from their capsized boat by fishermen on Thursday, after a yet-unknown number perished. When Rohingyas are living in squalid refugee camps in Bangladesh, escape across the seas might seem like a good option — but it’s often a deadly one. The U.N. estimates that as many as one in eight persons dies or disappears in the attempt.